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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · perch · board · tube · fan · wax · staff · rock

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — a container
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — a stone
  9. capital — a city
  10. staff — a stick
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. perch — the fish
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com